Signaling device



C. SCHATZLE 61 E. SMITH.

SIGNAUNG DEvmE. APPLIC-TION FILED SEPT. 3| i915- Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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SLGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATIQN FILED SEPT. 13, 1915 incarica UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

CHARLESSCHATZLE AND EDWIN SMITH, F PALMERTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

To all whom t may cof/acera:r

Be it known that we, CHARLES SCHATZLE and EDWIN SMITH, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Palmerton, in the county of Carbon, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSignaling Devices; and we do hereby declare the. following to ,be afull, clearLand exact description 4of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the y or at sharp curves and corners for the purlrelatively few parts,

vso arranged pose of preventing collisions between vehicles approachingeach other along intersecting ways.

In carrying out our invention it is our purpose to provide a signalingdevice which embodies among other features a plurality of signals whichare located at the intersection of two roads or ways, or at a curve orbend in a road or way, these signals being and operated that a vehicle,such asian automobile or the like, traveling along one section of roadin the directionof the signals, will at a predetermined point operateone of the signals which may be readily observed for a considerabledistance by a second vehicle approaching the signal y from another orintersecting section of road or way, mentioned vehicle will be notifiedof the danger .of an approaching vehicle and may consequentlyexercisethe necessary caution,

to avoid collision or accident.

Still a further object of our invention is to provide van electricsignaling device, wherein the signal may be set at danger. by theclosing of the circuit when the vehicle passes over one section of theroadway, and returned to normal or clear position by the breaking. ofthe circuit when the -vehicle passes over another section of theroadway.

It is also our purpose to provide a signaling device which will embodythe desired features of simplicity, efficiency and rehability, andwhichembodying as it doesvbut may be manufactured and installed at acomparatively low cost.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view,our invention consists in the construction, combination and so that anoccupant of such lastw Specification of Letterslatent. Patented Aug 15,1.916 Application led September 13, 1915. Serial No. 50,449.4 i

arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of theappended claims. In the accompanying drawing: Figure l 1s atop plan viewof a signaling device embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation showing the circuit opening and closing devices of one of thesignaling members in exposed-position. Fig. 8 is an end view.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4: of Fig. 1.

Before entering into a detailed description of our invention, we willbriefly state that 1n the preferred form shown herein, it embodies amongother features a suitable support, such as a post or the like, locatedat a corner, or where two sections of road intersect, this supportcarrying two signals, preferably electric. lamps, equipped with redbulbs or lights. A suitable shield or reflecting device is provided,which is'interposed between the two lamps in such manner that one of thelamps when lighted may be observed by the occupants of the vehicletraveling toward the signal along one section of the' road, but will beobscured from the vision of the "occupants of a vehicle traveling alongthe other or intersecting section of the road. Inv other words, avehicle traveling along one section of the road will at a 'certainpoint, operate mechanism to display the danger signal for the oppositeor intersecting section of road, and will subsequently further operatesuch mechanism to restore the signal to its normal clear position. Inthe present instance each section of the road is provided with onedepressible member for closing the electric circuit and two depressiblemembers for breaking the electric circuit of one of the signals, for thepurpose hereinafter apparent.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter Aindicates one section of a roadway, and the letterB indicatesv` anothersection of a roadway, the two sections intersecting or meeting at thecorner C. At the corner C wel arrange a post '1,

is in alinement with and may be observed by a person traveling towardthe signal along the road A, while the signal L may be likewise observedby a person traveling toward the signal along the road B. Anapproximately V-shaped shield or reflector S is mounted on the platform,as shown in theY drawings, so that the curvedsection 6 of the shieldacts as a reflector for the'lamp L, while the curved section 7 of theshield acts as a reflector for the lamp L', and at the same time theapex section of the shield projects between the two lamps. As heretoforestated, these lamps are preferably inthe nature of electric lamps, andare lighted from suitable batteries (not shown).

Alongside the road section A is arranged the circuit closing and circuitbreaking mechanism for the lamp L', or that lamp which acts as a signalfor the road section B, while alongside the road section B is arrangedthe circuit closing and breaking mechanism for the lamp L, or that lampwhich acts as a signa-l for the roadsection A. As the circuit openingand breaking mechanism for one lamp is identical in construc-v bars 13,14 and 15, each of these bars being y provided with dependin coilsprings 16 fitting into sockets 17 in t e bottom of its respectivegroove. The bar 13 when depressed is intended to break or open thecircuit to the lamp L', the intermediate bar 14, when depressed isintended to close the circuit to the lamp L' to light the latter, whilethe bar 15, or that nearest the signal post, when depressed is intendedto break the circuit to extinguish the lamp L. Pivoted as at 18 beneaththe bar 13 is an arm 19, the upper end of which is adapted to becontacted with by the depressible bar 13, and pivoted to this arm 19intermediate its ends as at 20, is a link rod 21, the opposite end ofwhich is provided with a contraction spring 22 connected as at 23 to theintermediate ortion of the arm 24, which is adapted to e con'- tactedwith by the depressible closing bar 14. This arm 24 is pivotedat itslower end as at 25, and has connected thereto as at 26, one end of thelink bar 27, the opposite end of said link bar having formed therewiththe extension spring 28 which is fastened as at 29=to the arm 30,pivoted as at 31. The lower end of this arm 30 is bent laterally andhorizontally as at 32 and termi-` the roads, the automobilepwill firstpass over the depressible bar 13 and depress the latter. However, asthis is a circuit opent ing bar the lamp L' will not be lighted, forthis bar is for a purpose hereinafter described. As the lautomobilecontinues its journey, however, and strikes the depressible closing bar14, it will press the latter into contact with the end of the arm 24 andmove the latter on its pivot, thereby pulling on the link rod 27 andconsequently swing ing the arm 30 on its pivot and causing the end 32 ofthe arm to press the push b utton device D, and thereby close thecircuitfrom the batteries (not shown) to the lamp and cause the lamp tobe lighted. As the automobile in its travel passes over the circuitopening bar 15, which is substantially at the corner or intersection ofthe roads, it will depress this bar against the end 33 of the arm 30,and thus swin this arm on its pivot to release the push uttonto breakthe circuit to the lamp L'. When the circuit is v thus broken by thedepression of the bar 15, the vehicle is substantially at the corner orintersection of the roads, so that it might be readily seen by theoccupants of a vehicle approaching on the road B. The distant circuitopening depressible bar 13 is employed,

because when a vehicle is traveling on the Of course, it is to beunderstood that the velectric circuit for the lamps may be arranged inan ordinary and well known manner and that suitable batteries may beused to supply current to the lamps, but as the particular wiring of thedevice forms no essential part of the invention, it need not bedescribed in detail. It is further to be understood that the circuitopening and closing mechanism, described for operating the lam L' by avehicle traveling along the roa A, is duplicated alongside the road B,for the purpose of operating the lamp L.

It will thus -be observed that we have provided an exceedingly simple,yet positive and eflicient means by means of which the loccupants of avehicle traveling along one section of a road which intersects or meetsanother road section at an angle, may be warned of the approach of avehicle on such other road section.

lVhile we have herein shown and described one particular embodiment ofour invention, we wish itl to be understood that we do not confineourselves to all the precise details of construction herein set forth byway of illustration, as modiication and variation may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of theappended claims.

lVhat we claimis:

1. The combination with a suitable sup,

port, of an electric signal mounted thereon and means for making andbreaking 'an electric circuit for the signal, said means in cluding anintermediate pivoted arm,a pair of oppositely extending links connectedwith said arm,va second pivoted arm connected with one of said links, athird pivoted arm connected to the other of said links, a push buttonconnected with the signal and operable by the third arm, and adepressible member for operating each arm.

2. The combination with a suitable support adapted to be located at theintersection of two roadways, of a pair of electric lamps each arrangedto act as a signal for a respective section of roadway, a shieldinterposed between the two lamps, and means locatedat each roadway andoperable by a passing vehicle for opening, then closing and then openingthe electric circuit of the signal lamp at the other roadway. A

3. The combination with a suitable support adapted to be located at themeeting point of two roadways, of a pair of elec trically operatedsignalingJV devices mounted on the support, one ot said devices for eachroadway, and means located at one roadway or controlling the signalingdevice of the other roadway, said means including an electric switch forcontrolling an electric circuit to said signaling device, and means foroperating the switch, said means including a series of depressible bars,a member operated by the depression of each bar, connections between allof said members, and means carried by one of' said members for operatingdirectly upon the switch to open and close the latter.

In testimony whereof, we aiix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES SCHATZLE. EDVIN SMITH. Witnesses:

GEO. H. CHANDLEE, RICHARD B. CAVANAUGH.

